社区黑料

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Angela Duckworth has no plans to write another book, so if you enjoyed Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, and you want more, you might have to reread Grit. The 2016 bestseller (hailed by The New Yorker as 鈥渁 pop-psych smash鈥�) presented research into a trait that correlates with success no matter how you define it. All of a sudden, grit became the buzzword of teachers, coaches, politicians, and CEOs.

Around 2016, we all needed a reminder that character matters.

Duckworth defines character as 鈥渆verything people need to lead good lives for themselves and for others.鈥� In educational circles, this field is known as social and emotional learning. Can it be taught? So much rides on the answer to that question.

Groups have focused on building character for as long as groups have existed鈥攖hat is, since the dawn of civilization. Boy Scouts of America teaches troop members to 鈥�.鈥� Boys and Girls Clubs of America help participants 鈥�.鈥� Churches, synagogues, and mosques inculcate moral lessons, too, which are often about building character.

鈥淭hey are all passing down psychological wisdom,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e complementary but different.鈥�

Although she doesn鈥檛 completely rule out a second book, Duckworth is focused on being CEO of the organization she cofounded with Dave Levin, co-founder of the KIPP public charter schools; and Dominic Randolph, head of school at Riverdale Country School.

In the beginning, it was not Angela鈥檚 intention to run Character Lab, but around the time she completed Grit, it became obvious that the nonprofit wasn鈥檛 living up to its potential. 鈥淲e had a mission, but not a viable strategy,鈥� she admits. 鈥淓very organization has its moments of wandering in the desert.鈥�

Despite her unshakeable belief that human development can benefit from scientific discovery, she didn鈥檛 see how they were advancing the cause. The model needed rethinking. 鈥淥riginally, we awarded grants to researchers,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n fact, that was my idea. But we realized that we鈥檙e not grant makers.鈥�

Besides, she says, scientists didn鈥檛 need be sold on the idea of helping kids thrive. Most scientists she knew were already motivated to work with children and teachers. 鈥淲hat they needed most wasn鈥檛 money,鈥� Angela explained. 鈥淲hat they needed was a more efficient way to do research in schools.鈥�

The organizational cul-de-sac was just the kind of situation that demanded鈥� you guessed it, grit. Board chair Feroz Dewan approached her about taking the reins, and though at first she protested that being a professor of psychology at an Ivy League university was more than enough to handle, ultimately she rose to the occasion.

Psychologists have identified a challenge-seeking response in some people, and Duckworth has it in abundance. An anecdote in Grit concerns her decision to resist dropping a neurobiology class she took as a college freshman, despite her professor鈥檚 warning that persisting would wreck her GPA. 鈥淚 curled my hands into fists,鈥� she writes, 鈥渃lenched my jaw and marched directly to the registrar鈥檚 office. At that moment, I鈥檇 resolved to stay enrolled in鈥攁nd, in fact, major 颈苍鈥拢别耻谤辞产颈辞濒辞驳测.鈥�

Character Lab has that determination woven into its DNA. Duckworth cites Ralph Waldo Emerson鈥檚 maxim, 鈥淓very great institution is the lengthened shadow of a single man鈥� (temporarily forgiving Emerson鈥檚 choice of pronoun) and recalls the 100% turnover in staff shortly after she became CEO and moved the organization from New York City to Philadelphia.

Duckworth does not hesitate to credit Character Lab鈥檚 executive director, Sean Talamas, a multi-degreed U.S. Air Force veteran and the son of two Cuban immigrants. Talamas pioneered the , which gathers data on the effectiveness of promising research ideas to close the gap between the science and the practice. This consortium of over 80 middle and high schools around the country collaborates with scientists to conduct student-centered research.

The 30-minute, three-times-a-year research activities are designed to unearth insights about the mindsets and skills that underlie character development. It is these insights that Character Lab then translates into actionable advice for parents and educators. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not makers. There are no products here,鈥� Duckworth says, gesturing around the second-floor space in downtown Philadelphia. 鈥淣o app. No curriculum. All that is already being done鈥攐ur job is to infuse those products and services with evidence-based insights.鈥�

Two specific initiatives are devoted to translating research into readable English. are ready-to-use mini-resources for parents, coaches, and counselors. Topics include Emotional Intelligence, Growth Mindset, Intellectual Humility, and, of course, Grit. is just what it sounds like.

At first, the title of tip that had just come out when I visited Duckworth, , surprised me because she had confessed that she鈥檚 a bad driver with a lousy sense of direction. But of course, the 鈥渄riving鈥� is figurative鈥攊t鈥檚 an ode to determining one鈥檚 own educational destiny and to Diane Tavenner, founder of the Summit charter management organization and author of .

Duckworth鈥檚 long list of heroes also includes Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp; Sal Khan, the brains behind ; and , her mentor at University of Pennsylvania, who originated the discipline of positive psychology.

Next spring, Duckworth is teaching an undergraduate course called . The class puts into practice many of the theories she has championed as an author and nonprofit leader. It will be pass-fail, with no traditional exams. Laptops are banned from the classroom, to promote fuller engagement.

Grit is paying off. Character Lab works with more than 100,000 students on its research network and reaches tens of thousands of parents and educators via its Playbooks and Tip of the Week. 鈥淎ll we have to do,鈥� Duckworth smiles, 鈥渋s multiply that by 50.鈥�

This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on 社区黑料. Learn more here.